Days at Hogwarts

Chapter 753 Green and Healthy (Revised Version)

Soft light filled the room.

Loren lay on the bed, staring blankly at the light strip on the hotel ceiling, letting his mind wander, the sound of running water from the bathroom filling his ears.

Failed.

The hotel I chose was too high-end; the bathroom was a separate room, and it wasn't made of glass, so I couldn't even see my shadow.

The sound of water pattering was soft, as if the sound was veiled by the mist.

At this point, cast a Polymorph spell on the wall to create a small opening, or use a Transformation spell to turn the concrete wall into glass; perhaps you'll be able to see a slender figure through the mist...

Loren stopped in time, ceasing his contemplation of unpublishable new directions for magical applications, and continued to unleash his rich imagination, drawing upon fragments of his memories to construct fantasy.

But it was already late at night, and my tired brain chose to clear the background processes and take a short rest.

"Oh……"

Loren yawned, clearing his mind once again.

Thinking about it carefully, there are actually many magic spells that would be suitable for the current situation, but doing so would be too strange. They are lovers who have confessed their love to each other, and they don't need to resort to underhanded tricks to do anything they want. Besides, this apartment only has one bedroom, and tonight is still long, and the future is still long...

The sound of water in the bathroom suddenly stopped. Loren subconsciously sat up and glanced involuntarily at the door, but then the water started running again in the bathroom.

Loren gasped.

What just happened?

What terrifying magic! It's even more powerful than the Imperius Curse. It controlled me without me even realizing it.

Loren frowned and slowly lay back down. The sound of water in the bathroom quickly stopped again, this time completely. He heard the sound of the lock turning, turned his head, and just then saw the girl coming out of the bath.

Hermione stepped out of the bathroom with her lips pursed, wrapped in a large bath towel. Her fair and rounded shoulders seemed to glow, and tiny water droplets clung to her delicate collarbone. She seemed to still be enveloped in a misty vapor. Her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head, with a few strands sticking to her neck and face, giving her an ethereal beauty.

Only when you get closer can you see her face clearly: delicate and curled eyelashes, a small nose, thin and rosy lips, and a pale blush on her fair cheeks from the hot water.

Hermione seems exceptionally gentle in this way.

Loren sat there, stunned, completely bewildered.

Why didn't you use those spells just now?

"What are you thinking about?"

Hermione tried to remain calm, but when she came to his side, she still glanced at him. Their eyes met, and the girl's eyes sparkled, bright and radiant, her cheeks flushed even more.

"I was wondering why I didn't use Transformation to turn the wall into glass just now."

"..."

It's the same familiar feeling, the same familiar Loren.

Hermione rolled her eyes and gradually relaxed: "It's late, go take a shower."

"oh."

Loren reluctantly looked away, stood up, and walked towards the bathroom.

The sound of running water lasted only a dozen minutes. When Loren came out of the bathroom, Hermione was half-lying on the headboard, leaning against the pillows, holding a newspaper. She had changed out of her bath towel but not the bathrobe provided by the hotel. She was wearing her own silk nightgown, revealing a small section of her fair and smooth calves. The material was soft and the fabric was thin. The nightgown outlined the girl's already developed figure.

"What are you looking at?"

Loren leaned closer and peeked at it discreetly. The hotel provided some unknown tabloids with recommendations for attractions and restaurants, and the printing was quite exquisite.

He sat down beside her, casually put his arm around her shoulder, frowned, and said sternly, "Your handsome boyfriend is taking a shower inside, and you're reading the newspaper outside?"

Hermione lowered her head and pursed her lips.

The water droplets on the person's body hadn't been dried off, and they clung to her skin, wetting her nightgown.

"It's late, go to sleep early. There's a lot to do tomorrow. Let's try to finish dealing with the Ministry of Magic and the Magical Congress, and then we can still find time to celebrate your birthday."

"How about we sneak away tomorrow morning?"

"Then you should get up early and go to bed early."

"oh."

Loren leaned back on the pillows, his eyes darting around: "Did you prepare a gift for me?"

"It's ready, I'll give it to you tomorrow."

"What if I don't like the gift you've prepared?"

"Then give it back to me."

Loren frowned and turned to look at her: "Can't you be a little nicer? Think about how much I cared for you on your birthday..."

Hermione paused briefly, and considering the current situation, wisely refrained from arguing to avoid this person using it as an excuse. She finished reading the last version of the introduction, closed the newspaper, placed it on her bedside table, and casually switched off the room's light strip, leaving only a small nightlight on.

Go to bed early.

Loren stared straight at her: "It's past midnight, I need to open my presents early."

"..."

Hermione felt inexplicably flustered, avoided his gaze, and silently moved to the side, trying to escape his embrace.

Loren turned slightly to the side, his hand that was on her shoulder naturally pulled back and wrapped around the girl's neck. A few strands of hair were caught in the middle, tickling her. Their noses touched, and they could both see each other's eyes.

Hermione blinked slightly, her long, delicate eyelashes curling upwards.

They placed the travel guidebook on their pillows and studied human geography together. Since they were sitting close together, they inevitably clung to each other. Their summer clothes were light and breathable, allowing them to share each other's warmth and touch without reservation. Loren could feel her breath, which carried her enthusiasm for learning.

Even without paper and pen, Loren still had to draw notes. He used whatever was readily available, such as ink, but unfortunately, this ink had no color.

Hermione's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes gradually welled up with tears as she stared at the little lamp in a daze.

The warm pen tip gradually moved downwards, wandering along the thin chain of the pendant, trying to leave a mark on the white paper. The ink gradually warmed up, and my breathing became a little rapid, while the metal chain remained cool. The two sensations intertwined, causing my heart to tremble slightly.

A delicate chain adorned with whale-shaped carvings rests between two clusters, like a photograph in a travel brochure. Having greeted the whale, one wade across the edge of the snow-capped peaks, lifting the thin fabric to glimpse the enchanting mountain scenery.

Early August is the end of summer, and plum blossoms in some mountainous areas are about to enter their blooming season, with two flower buds adorning the branches.

The petals were still tender, and the dew on the flowers was slightly sweet.

The soft, bright lights reflected on the emerald lake's surface, creating scattered ripples. Hermione couldn't help but purse her lips, immersing herself in the beauty of the landscape.

In this kind of weather, on this kind of night, Loren didn't want to just be a spectator.

The warm breath exhaled from their mouths and noses carried the fragrance of flowers and was slightly rapid. The branches trembled as if trying to avoid it, but they could not escape.

His fair and smooth calves bent and then lowered, and five small lotus seeds curled up slightly, pressing the snow into some wrinkles. The already powerless Xi Ye suddenly gained strength, and her slender white fingers pressed against his back, twisting and pinching as if out of control, leaving shallow nail marks.

Hermione saw the lights flickering, rippling like lake water, until he abandoned the plum blossoms and tried to move on to the next attraction. Hermione struggled to muster her remaining rationality, grabbed his hand, and whispered, "No..."

Loren paused briefly before returning to the mountain peak to admire the plum blossoms.

"..."

Hermione felt a mix of helplessness and gratitude.

The two had practically grown up together, their long companionship having forged a deep bond. Although they hadn't taken the final step, it was only a matter of time. In the instant their eyes met, they understood each other's thoughts without needing to manipulate each other's minds. He should have been able to see that his resistance wasn't particularly strong, and if he continued on his own, he wouldn't encounter any obstacles. Yet, he still stopped.

He loves more than just this body.

Hermione's heart softened, and she couldn't help but lean closer and whisper in his ear, "I love you, Loren."

Then he heard the man's breathing catch for a moment, and felt the wand pressed against him again, the wand brewing flames.

Hermione was burned and immediately shrank back to her original position, looking obedient and staring at him innocently.

Loren found it somewhat amusing, then glared at him fiercely: "You were the one who called for a halt, and you're the one who caused the trouble. Are you deliberately trying to trick me?"

"I'm not..." Hermione answered weakly.

"Even if you don't accept punishment, you still have to."

"What punishment?"

"Um……"

Loren took her hand, his five fingers starting from her palm, passing the base of her fingers, slowly sliding over her knuckles, and kneading the soft, delicate flesh of her fingertips. His gaze was malicious as he leaned close to the girl's ear and whispered something in her ear.

"..."

Hermione blushed, but knowing she was in the wrong, she could only silently obey.

……

The sky is dimly bright.

Hermione opened her eyes, still feeling a little sleepy.

Her eyes felt slightly sore. Based on her past experience of staying up late, she now had faint dark circles under her eyes and a few blood vessels in the whites of her eyes, all signs of insufficient sleep last night.

A dull, aching sensation in the wrist indicates some muscle damage in the wrist joint.

Two Death Eaters were subdued unharmed, while another guy was exhausted.

But the person in front of her was sleeping soundly, with a faint smile in his eyes. Hermione couldn't swallow her anger and couldn't help but raise her hand to punch him, and then her wrist hurt even more.

Loren, startled by the attack, opened his eyes, saw the girl's face beside him, and immediately grinned: "Good morning."

For no apparent reason, Hermione's gloom suddenly dissipated, and she replied softly, "Good morning."

Loren rubbed her twice, then reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck. As if expressing genuine emotion, he couldn't help but say in a muffled voice, "I love you, Hermione."

"I also……"

Hermione was about to respond when she realized that the wand was pressing against her again. She immediately pursed her lips and fell silent, then quietly got up to wash up.

……

"You can miss us, but don't dwell on it, Harry. Enjoy your life. If you can live a brilliant and fulfilling life, that will be the best comfort for your father and me..."

"Alright, Harry, you should go back now."

Ha shook his head vigorously to let his parents' words fade away, then lowered his head to continue arranging his travel plans.

He was sitting on the toilet in his hotel room, holding a travel brochure, flipping through classic sights in New York and the United States. Every now and then, he would pick up a pen and jot things down on paper. He was thinking about his travel plans for the next two weeks. With the help of Apparition, which would save him time and effort, he was sure he could travel all over America.

Central Park...

Times Square...

Fifth Avenue...

"statue of Liberty……"

Lacking travel experience herself, she had to drag Loren and Hermione along, who could act as her guides.

You must take a picture, write a letter, and send it to Ron.

Every summer I had to stay at the Dursleys' house. The only time Sirius Black had a short trip was when he was released from prison. The farthest place he went was Godric's Hollow, and the trip wasn't very pleasant. I was quite happy at the Burrow, but that didn't really count as a trip...

Harry recalls his experiences that summer: Remus and Sirius lost contact, Mr. Weasley won the lottery and took his family on a trip to Egypt, leaving him to stay at the Dursleys' house. His only hope was to correspond with Loren and Hermione. Then, something even more tragic happened: those two also went to Egypt, leaving behind only a perfunctory letter!

We must make Ron envious and jealous.

This will surely make Mom and Dad feel gratified.

Seeing that it was almost time, Harry put down the picture book, picked up the hotel meal voucher, and walked towards the restaurant with a smile on his face and light steps.

The experience of the dreamlike illusion was like a rite of passage for him, silently transforming and maturing him. Harry felt that he had reached Dumbledore's level of understanding: death is not the end, but the beginning of another great adventure.

The hotel was booked for him by Dumbledore, and it's said that Loren and Hermione also stayed there.

Although he hasn't seen the headmaster since waking up, he left a note on the table, briefly and quickly explaining the relevant matters, and saying that an Auror from the Ministry of Magic would contact him later.

Harry didn't intend to wait here for the Aurors; instead, he planned to go find Loren and Hermione after breakfast.

With less than a month left of summer vacation, travel time is extremely precious.

"Um?"

Harry walked into the restaurant and suddenly realized that all the diners were familiar faces.

Scrimgeour and Mad-Eye Moody sat together talking in hushed tones, Tonks and Remus huddled together whispering, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix no longer concealed their identities, dining in the same room as the Aurors.

Sirius was the only one sitting beside him.

Without hesitation, Harry took his food and carried the tray to the table: "Sirius!"

"Harry! I was just about to come find you!"

Sirius laughed loudly. Although he knew beforehand that Harry was alright, the Killing Curse was so terrifying that seeing him standing unharmed in front of him was still a pleasant surprise.

"Why are you eating breakfast alone? Why don't you go find Remus?"

"Adult experience tells you not to disturb other people's dates, even if they are your best friends."

"Emmm..."

Should we then ask Loren and Hermione to be our guides?

Harry gradually fell into deep thought.

Reason and limited dating experience told Harry that Sirius was right.

But there are no other friends here, only adults like Sirius. Traveling with adults isn't very interesting, but going to find friends would disturb their dates.

Harry finished his breakfast with a lot of hesitation and decided to meet up with his friends first, since it was Loren's birthday today...

With a mix of complicated thoughts, he arrived at the front desk and asked his two friends for their room number. Perhaps the hotel had been bribed by the Magical Congress of America, because the receptionist was exceptionally cooperative and didn't ask for any proof, simply telling him his friends' information.

"What! They've already checked out?"

The receptionist smiled and nodded: "Yes, your two friends checked out and left an hour ago."

(End of this chapter)